Rhetoric Cools on Near-Term Pain of Cuts

By

Peter Nicholas and

Damian Paletta

Updated March 3, 2013 8:19 p.m. ET

After warning that across-the-board spending cuts would have catastrophic effects, White House officials are trying to play down fears that people will suffer hardships right away, instead preparing them for a fight that won't be quickly resolved.

In an unsuccessful effort to get Republicans to negotiate over a more gradual deficit-reduction deal, the Obama administration spent weeks warning that the $85 billion in cuts, known as a...